River Day 12/20/2010

This was the last River Day (referred to as "Monday" by non-Rivertarians) before Christmas and everyone except Pat made it down (maybe 2011 will be better for him!).

Although it wasn't snowing this week, there was a little more snow on the ground, and there was more ice in the river. The temperature was also a bit warmer this week (upper 20's) and the wind wasn't blowing nearly as bad as the week before. I guess the locals don't like the cold weather much because we sure don't see them much when it's like this.

We hung around long enough to see the full moon come up over the mountain across the river. There was supposed to be a lunar eclipse as well, but we didn't stay for that.

As usual we had the best fire on the river; maybe on ANY river. Hope the pictures do it justice.

To everyone who reads this blog, Merry Christmas from all of us!

River Day 12/13/2010

It was definitely winter time at the river again this week; we not only had snow on the ground like last week, but it poured snow most of the night. The temperature stayed just below 20 degrees while we were there, but with the way the wind was blowing, I'm sure the wind chill was much lower.

The eddy pool in front of the camp where we usually fish when the water's up was frozen up this week. Jay tested the ice with a few rocks, but it wouldn't have held a person.

We didn't have any problem finding wood for the fire (the best one on the river, by the way) but the pallets Jay picked up on the way down really kicked it up a notch (maybe three notches). The river had apparently been up again and left a few convenient pieces for burning.

Those at the river this week were Ted, Tim, Jay and I (Mark). We were all bundled up pretty good in preparation for the cold, much like last week. I've been told that in the picture of the four of us from last week that we look like escapees.

Didn't see much of the locals this week; guess the cold weather keeps them pretty much inside. I am a little disappointed that they haven't put up their Christmas lights this year. The two directly behind our usual spot have put up at least one string of lights for the past several years. Guess they're not in the Christmas spirit yet.

River Day 12/06/2010

Well, you know the old saying: "Sometimes you get what you wish for"? Last week I commented that I was looking forward to the snowy nights at the river, and that's just what we got this week. It snowed for most of the weekend and there were a couple of inches on the ground at the river (several more at the top of the mountain) and the temperature was in the lower 20's when we got there. I didn't think to check what the temperature was when we left, but it got down to about 12 in Beckley.

The river had been up due to the rains last week, so there was a good bit of firewood laying around. There were also a few pallets brought down, and that certainly helped. As you might imagine, most of the evening was spent very close to the fire, which was probably the best on the river.

I took a few random photos that really show show the difference between this time of year and the middle of the summer (check some of the earlier posts). Of course I always try to get a picture or two of the fire, and I was able to get a fuzzy shot of a Great Blue Heron that was feeding just down-river.

Jay, Ted, Tim and I made it down this week. We only have a few more Mondays this year and I hope we can all make it for all of them.

River Day 11/29/2010

Good weather again this week, but a little cooler. The river was also up a little higher this week than it was last week; no one tried any fishing. Ted, Jay, Tim and I (Mark) were all there again (two weeks in a row! may be a record for the year).

We had a little company this week: Ron came down to put anti-freeze in the water lines in his camper, and one of the neighbors (Freddie) stopped by after trying a little hunting.

Since it was cooler, the primary focus seemed to be on the fire: keeping it going and standing close to it!

Another great night of good company and conversation. Looking forward to the snowy nights.

We certainly had the best fire on the river again, BUT...it was dark as $#!* out there!

River Day 11/22/2010

We had some great weather for this late into November this week at the river: clear blue skies and the temp right around 70 degrees (early on, anyway). As the sun went down, it cooled off but was still pretty mild for this time of year. No one complained, though. You can still tell by the trees though that winter is definitely on its way.

This week Ted, Jay, Tim and I (Mark) were able to make it down. As usual, good company and good conversation. I tried to fish for a little while but only caught a hook full of weeds for every cast.

I brought the stuff to connect my XM radio to Ron's receiver; we haven't done that for a while. All of Ron's XM equipment was either lost or destroyed in the flood(s) from this spring. We all enjoy listening to the 40's channel (except for Pat) but XM has already changed the programming on that channel to traditional Christmas music until after Christmas. So, even though it's a little early, we listened to traditional Christmas music for most of the evening.

One good thing about it getting dark early this time of year, we all spend a little more time around this fire, and as usual, we definitely had the best fire on the river (maybe on any river!).

Monday Night November 8th 2010

So this afternoon Jay and I (Tim) were the only ones able to make it down to the river. It was a beautiful mid fall afternoon. Temperatures were very seasonal.... mid 50's. As you can see by the pictures (which aren't that great because they were taken from my cell phone) all the leaves are gone from the trees on the hillside across the river. You can also see that the sun was much lower on the hillside for the time of day I took the picture, due to daylight savings time change this past weekend. Jay and I both decided not to bring down any fishing gear this afternoon, although we did see quiet a few minnows in the pool of water that collects in front of the river. Didn't bother catching any of them though..... Dajuan was also in the area trying to compete with our fire, as you can see by the picture his was going pretty good but didn't last as long as ours. So needless to say, we DID have the best fire on the river... Again!! We also got some entertainment from watching Dave doing some cooking out on his grill... we still don't know exactly what he was making but he sure did seem to be enjoying it.... Oh well.... Until next Monday.....

River Day- October 11th

OK....I know, I know.... It's a late post, but... better late then never!
So this past Monday night the weather was perfect! The fall colors are really starting to peak across the river, as you can see from the pictures. Jay, Pat and I (Tim) were able to make it down this week. As far as the fishing....... well, let's put it this way..... it was a beautiful evening out on the river fishing, I guess there were some fish out there, somewhere!! Jay did manage to get one, Pat and I both came up empty! But it was fun, Just enjoyed being there. As usual, we had the best fire on the river ....Again.!
The pictures were taken from my blackberry, so the quality isn't that great.

River Day 10/04/2010

Jay and I were the only ones able to make it to the river this week, but we still had a nice evening.

We had a little rain this week, and the temperature was probably 20 degrees cooler than last week; fall is definitely here. I'm not sure if you can tell by the picture, but the leaves are showing a little more color. It looks like more leaves are going to go straight from green to brown though, because of the dry summer we had.

Neither of us tried any fishing this week; just not work the trouble because of the rain and water level.

There are three different thermometers at the camp where we usually have River Day. If you look at the pictures you can clearly see that the temp. on Monday was somewhere between 51 and 69 degrees. Just thought it was funny.

(For the record, the 1st one was the closest to the actual temperature)

River Day 09/27/2010

With a rainy Monday morning, and the threat of rain for the evening, no one went to the river except for me. I think maybe the other guys spent too much time in skirts over the weekend (lol). I decided to take advantage of the low river level and get in some end of the season fishing; rain over the next few days is bound to raise the water level. They're still biting some; I caught four for the evening.

While I was out fishing, I saw a buck swim across the river in the rapids below me. I took a picture, but the camera is just a point-and-shoot. You might be able to pick out the deer in the photo. Definitely something you don't see everyday.

Very quiet at the river. I built a small fire just to say I did. No dinner at the river tonight. I did take a few pictures while I was there. It's amazing how different everything looks and feels as the seasons change.

River Day 09/20/2010

Same crew again this week at the river (wow, two weeks in a row!); Jay, Tim, and I (Mark). We were back at our normal spot this week (picture shows the camp from the river). Once again we had great weather as we get closer to fall; clear skies, temperature around 80. The wind had come up a bit before I got there (late, again) and Tim said it looked like it was snowing leaves. Won't be long till they're all coming down.

For the first time this year, the water was so low that you could walk across the rocks out to the current without having to wade through any water, so we all hiked out and did a little fishing. Despite the locals saying that the fish aren't biting, I managed to catch a total of 18 for the evening; 11 of them before we had dinner. (The other two will have to confess to how many they caught.)

We had hot dogs on the grill this week (thanks Jay!); nice simple dinner. You know, I've come to realize that hot dogs taste better at the river than anywhere else.

Once again, a great evening with good company.

River Day 09/13/2010

Schedules and jobs are continuing to plague River Day attendance, but at least we didn't have to wait a full month this time between celebrations. This week Ted was working, so it was just Jay, Tim, and I (Mark) at the river. We were all a little later arriving than normal because of work, but we made it anyway. We didn't go to our usual spot on the river but instead went about a mile and a half up river.

The weather was really nice; clear with temps in the upper 70's. But as the evening came on, you could really feel fall in the air. A lot of the trees are just starting to show some color (other than green), and many are starting to drop leaves. Summer is definitely winding down.

All three of us fished the whole time we were there but no one had any luck (not counting Jay's "sucker").

All-in-all a great night, with good company, good conversation, and of course the river.

River Day 08/23/2010

Sorry there aren't any pictures this week, but we did have a great night at the river. Only three of us were able to make it this time; Jay, Ted, and Mark. Work and schedules have really wreaked havoc on our weekly celebration this summer, as you can tell by the posts (or lack thereof).

Everything is really starting to cool off as we ease toward fall, especially after the sun starts to drop. I tried a little fly fishing and even the water temperature is dropping. The temperature this week was right around 80, or even a little below that. The day started out overcast, but as the evening came, the skies cleared. Weather-wise, it's been a great summer, but I'm looking forward to the cooler temperatures (bring on the winter!).

Not much activity around the river; didn't see much of the "locals" and only saw two kayakers. We did see a Great Blue Heron again this week; he hung around for a few minutes fishing, then flew upriver.

Have a great week!

River Day 07/26/2010

It's hard to believe, but it's been about a month since the last River Day. Everyone has been busy this summer with work and scheduling, so we haven't been able to get together on Monday nights.

This week the weather was perfect; clear skies, temperature just above 80 degrees. That's a bit of a cool down after the heat wave we've been going through.

Everyone was down this week except for Pat. We fished for a while and caught a few, but they weren't very active.

Ted supplied dinner this week; hot dogs with cooked onions and peppers. Yum yum. Thanks Ted!

Not much going on with the locals this week, just a nice quiet evening. We did see a Great Blue Heron. He perched on a rock at the edge of the river in front of the camp. The camera I had doesn't have much zoom, so I tried to get a little closer. He didn't care for that much and took off. I did get one photo
of him leaving. Sorry it's a little blurry, but hey, better than
nothing.

River Day 06/21/2010

River Day and the first day of summer fell on the same day this year. It's like a holiday with a bonus.

Only three of us made it out this week - Jay, Ted and Mark. Great weather for the night with temps in the upper 80's. Summer is definitely here. Check out the haze from the heat over the river below the bridges.

We ventured out to a different spot this week for a change of scenery. We ended up just upstream from where Rt 41 crosses the river into Fayette County, almost 2 miles up from our usual spot. Easy to get to and wide open for fishing (even though we didn't catch anything). A little harder getting back up to our vehicles, huh Ted?






All in all just a great night on the river with good
friends.

River Day 05/24/2010

With the exception of about a 5 minute rain shower, we had great weather this week at the river. The temperature was nice, probably mid-70's. In the picture you can just make out the rain coming in over the mountain.

After the heavy rains last week, the river level is finally starting to settle back down. It also wasn't nearly as muddy as it has been.

Jay and I did a little fishing this week. When I left we had caught about 15 between us, but Jay was still going strong so I'm sure his number was much higher.

Ted was there also this week and he spent a little time finding, then starting a new walking stick. He's making it for someone else who wanted a shorter stick with a rounded top.



Finally, it looks like the building has been completely finished. Ron finished the door over the last week (with a little help from the locals). He's finally able to lock his stuff up again, and I'm sure he's happy about that.